The USGS Astrogeology Science Center has a rich history of participation in space exploration and planetary mapping, starting in 1963 when the Flagstaff Science Center was established to provide lunar geologic mapping and assist in training astronauts destined for the Moon.

Throughout the years, the program has participated in processing and analyzing data from numerous missions to planetary bodies in our solar system, assisting in finding potential landing sites for exploration vehicles, mapping our neighboring planets and their moons, and conducting research to better understand the origins, evolutions, and geologic processes operating on these celestial bodies.